Dances
by CelesteRiddle89
Summary: Even a simple dance, or multiple can change lives for the better. Even romance can slowly form with a dance. I don't own Harry Potter. The characters and world belong to J.K.
1. Chapter 1

The first dance was at the Yule Ball in fourth year after the infamous argument between Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

~Flashback~

 _Hermione sat on the stairs crying after her row with Ron. She had been enjoying the Yule Ball as Victor Krum's date, a night where she was actually feeling beautiful and like a princess, until Ron had to go and ruin it for her with his jealousy. Now here she was practically curled into a ball while she cried her eyes out._

 _"_ _Don't let him get to you." A voice told her as a hand held out a handkerchief to her. "Here."_

 _Hermione sniffled and looked up in surprise to see Neville before she takes the offered handkerchief with a murmur of thanks. After drying her eyes, she looked back at him._

 _"_ _Shouldn't you be inside the hall with Ginny?" She knew he'd shown up at the ball with Ginny and it did confuse her that he was there with her instead of with Ginny._

 _Neville shook his head. "She's currently giving Ron a piece of her mind. I figured while she was doing that, I'd come make sure you're okay. Especially since Harry's pretty out of it and Krum…." He broke off, not quite wanting to tell Hermione what he had last seen her date, Viktor Krum, doing before he'd come out to check on her._

 _Hermione had looked a bit hopeful when Neville said mentioned Victor, but hearing Neville break off and not finish his sentence dashed any hopes there. "Did he just not know what happened?" She asked before sighing and looking down. "He didn't really care either, did he? He's talking up some other girl, isn't he?" She looked to Neville again._

 _Neville bit his lip and nodded silently. "I'm sorry, Hermione." He whispered as he sat down on the stairs, being mindful of her dress._

 _Hermione shook her head. "I should have known really. Of course he wanted to get close to me. Everyone knows I'm Harry's best friend and Harry is his competition. He was hoping to get some sort of dirt on Harry. It's no surprise really that he'd end up chatting another girl. They're all prettier than me. I'm just a plain, frumpy, know-it-all bookworm."_

 _"_ _You're wrong Hermione. You're beautiful. And not just tonight. Your beauty is natural, something most of the other girls can't manage without make-up and hair products. If Krum couldn't see the wonderful person you are past your friendship with Harry, then he didn't deserve your presence at his side tonight." Neville smiled at her reassuringly._

 _"_ _Thanks Neville." She blushed gently with a soft smile._

 _"_ _Anytime Hermione." Neville listened for a moment before standing up with a grin. He held a hand out to her. "The music is still playing. May I have this dance, Miss Granger?"_

 _Hermione smiled and gently placed her hand in his outstretched one. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Longbottom."_

 _He carefully helped her up and pulled her close, being mindful of where he placed his hands and still allowing a little bit of space between them as they danced to the music of the slow song playing in the hall. Neither teen noticed as they unconsciously moved closer while they the time the song was halfway through, the two had ended dancing much closer than they originally had started. Neville's arms were around Hermione's waist while her arms were around his neck and her head was resting against his chest. Neville had, for some time, been harboring a crush on Hermione. She had, after all, been constantly helping him since the day they first met on the Hogwarts express at the beginning of their first year when she helped him go up and down the train in attempts to locate his toad, Trevor. He had himself wanted to ask Hermione to the ball but Victor had beaten him to it. So he had asked Ginny instead. He wasn't going to ruin this little moment, even if he didn't quite have the courage to tell her how he , on the other hand, was quite content with the positioning herself. She knew she could always trust Neville to remain the song ended, the two teens slowly pulled away and looked at each other._

 _"_ _Thank you for that Neville. I really needed it." Hermione smiled._

 _"_ _You're welcome, Hermione." Neville smiled back._

 _"_ _I think I'm going to head back to the dorms. Get ready for bed before the other girls get back and hog the bathrooms." She chuckled and turned to start walking back to Gryffindor tower._

 _"_ _I'll go with you. At least now I might have a chance to get to sleep before Ron's in there snoring." Neville easily fell into step with her._

 _"_ _So that's why you've been looking so tired lately? Ronald's snoring has kept you up?" She asked in concern._

 _"_ _You have no idea. Only reason I haven't tried silencing him is because I would be more likely to use a pillow due to having better luck with it." Neville half-chuckled._

 _"_ _Well then, let's make it a little more fun while we try to beat our dorm mates." She smiled and lifted her dress slightly before starting to run slightly, not going too fast due to her aching feet in the heels and to keep it an easy pace for them both._

 _By the time the two reached the Fat Lady's portrait, both were laughing and out of breath from the run up to the seventh floor from the Great Hall. Neville caught his breath long enough to give the password before helping Hermione through the portrait. They walked over to the staircases that led up to the separate boys' and girls' dorms._

 _"_ _Guess this is where we say goodnight. So, goodnight Hermione." Neville smiled._

 _"_ _Goodnight Neville. Thanks again for cheering me up." Hermione kissed his cheek and headed up to the girls' dormitory._

 _Neville watched her with a smile, a hand touching his cheek where she'd kissed him. "Never washing this cheek again." He murmured to himself before he headed up to the boys' dorm to go to bed._

~End Flashback~


	2. Chapter 2

The second dance was at a get-together between old friends at the Leaky Cauldron one year and a half after the war. A lot had happened in the that short time. Hermione and Ron had tried dating after the war, following their kiss in the Chamber of Secrets during the battle of Hogwarts. While dating, they had both taken up positions in the ministry. Ron had become an Auror fresh from the battle. Hermione had taken a position in the department of rules and regulations They had managed a year before their constant arguing had grown to an entire new level, as Ron had continued trying to pressure Hermione into staying home and becoming a stay at home mom the way his own mother had been and Hermione wasn't having it, forcing the couple to break up rather than lose friendship altogether.

Though it hadn't taken long, not even two days, after the break-up for him to start dating Lavender once more. Or rather, officially. As it turned out that for the second six months of the relationship with Hermione, Ron had been seeing Lavender in secret. Hermione had learned that fact from Lavender by owl post. When Hermione had confronted Ron about it at one of the Weasley family dinners, he had casually shrugged it off.

"Hey, I had needs and you were either rarely at home or just too tired." Ron shrugged. "Maybe if you'd been home more and not working so much, I wouldn't have had to go to Lavender."

That had of course been the absolutely wrong thing to say. As Hermione had launched into him angrily, unleashing her anger and frustration in a mix of hard punches and hexes. It had taken Harry, Ginny, Charlie, and Bill to get her off of him. When they finally had pulled her away far enough and slipped her some calming draught, Ginny had unleashed her bat bogey hex on Ron in her own anger.

Molly and Arthur were both disgusted with Ron and had comforted Hermione. Molly had declared that Lavender was not welcome at the Burrow ever.

Ron had balked at that news. Whining about how his siblings all got to bring their significant others to the dinners. But he made a second mistake by mentioning that Hermione wasn't a Weasley nor was she dating one and that it wasn't his fault that her own parents couldn't have their memories returned.

At the reveal about her parents, Hermione had given him a glare that would've killed him if looks could kill before storming off upstairs to Ginny's room to cry. Molly and Ginny, in turn, both hexed Ron for his insensitivity that time. Molly had gone off on him one last time, making it clear that no matter what, Hermione was considered family and she would not have that sort of talk from him in her house. Ron had huffed and left and things had been awkward and full of tension between him and Hermione ever since.

While at the celebration, Harry and Ginny had gone around to mingle with old classmates while Hermione sat nursing her drink and keeping to herself. Though she knew she shouldn't, she'd spent a good twenty minutes glancing over at the corner where Ron and Lavender were. Lavender looking obviously pregnant at six months along, a sign she had gotten pregnant around the time that Hermione and Ron had broken up. Not that Hermione cared about the exact timing of the child's conception, but it still hurt her that her first love had chosen the bimbo of their year over her.

"He doesn't deserve you." Neville spoke as he walked up to Hermione's table, a drink of his own in hand as he too watched their year mates in the corner. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Hermione looked to him and shook her head. "Go ahead." She smiled before looking back at Ron and Lavender again with a frown.

"Stop it Hermione." Neville spoke, a frown on his face as he watched her. "Ron's a stupid git for choosing her over you. He didn't deserve your tears back in fourth year and he doesn't deserve them now."

Hermione looked back to him in confusion before sighing. "It still hurts. It shouldn't after all this time. I didn't expect it to. But then, I barely see him and I haven't seen her in ages. So I guess it makes sense that the first time I see them together, it would hurt."

"How he could tolerate her is beyond me. But honestly, you were too good for him Hermione. She's more his level anyway." He smiled at her.

Hermione smiled again and nodded. "You're right. Thanks Neville."

"Anytime Hermione." Neville beamed, glad she was feeling better.

The two engaged in small talk, discussing their jobs and future career paths. After a while, a recognizable song started playing. The same one they had danced to back in fourth year at the Yule Ball.

Hermione giggled when she recognized the song. "Well, that's a nice coincidence."

Neville set his glass down and stood up. He held out a hand to her. "Care to repeat and give me the honor of another dance with you?"

"With pleasure." She set her own drink down and let him lead her to the dance floor that had been set up for the evening.

Neville and Hermione danced together to the song as they had years before. Only this time, they started off dancing close rather than the unconscious gravitation they'd had , while enjoying the closeness, was silently pondering if he should finally take the step of asking Hermione out. Hermione, was realizing some things while dancing in Neville's arms. That she was currently feeling safer in Neville's arms than she ever had in Ron's. That she seemed to fit against Neville perfectly. That, dare she say it, was having feelings for Neville.

When the song ended this time, Neville took a bold step. He looked at Hermione and gently tilted her head up with a finger before closing his eyes and leaning down to kiss her softly. He was quite surprised when she responded easily before slowly breaking it. Her cheeks were flushed as she looked up from under her eyelashes. As they tried to process what had just happened, they silently went back to their table and drinks.

"I'm sorry." Neville admitted.

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"For kissing you." He thought for a moment. "Actually, no. I'm not sorry for kissing you. I'm sorry for not asking first."

Hermione smiled and blushed. "What brought that on?"

Neville's answer to Hermione was a blush of his own. "Well, I've liked you for a while."

"How long?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Since first year." He shyly admitted.

Hermione's eyes widened at the news. "Really? Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Cause I didn't have the courage." He shrugged. "I'd wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball, but Krum beat me to it. And then I'd figured you'd started having feelings for Ron, not that I understood why so I settled for being a friend."

"Oh." Hermione looked down at that. "I was that obvious fourth year, huh?"

Neville nodded. "At least to me anyway. I wasn't surprised that Ron hadn't seen how you felt right away. The two of you did constantly fight like an old married couple." He half-chuckled. "But I noticed you had feelings with him and didn't think I stood a chance. So I remained a friend and silently wished for your sake that he would make you happy."

"You're a good friend, Neville." She looked up with a soft smile. "Granted, looking back, I wish that you had said something. Maybe then I wouldn't have gone through that pain."

"And do you honestly believe that part of your head wouldn't have been filled with 'what ifs' in relation to Ron?" He asked pointedly.

She was shocked by the question briefly but soon regained her composure. "You're right. And it wouldn't have been fair to you."

"Exactly." He smiled in pride. But, we have a chance now if you're willing to take it."

Hermione nodded. "I'd like that."

Neville nodded even as he caught sight behind Hermione of Lavender heading their way likely to antagonize Hermione."Well then, come on. Let's go ahead and get out of here." He said, not wanting to alert Hermione as he stood and held a hand out to her once more.

Hermione nodded and took it, letting him lead her out of the Leaky Cauldron.


	3. Chapter 3

The next significant dance was on a night that turned out to be doubly significant for them. The two had been dating for five years. During that time, Neville had first taken over the Head of House position for Gryffindor from Minerva McGonagall who had a lot on her plate as it was from being Headmistress and Transfiguration professor. He then apprenticed under Professor Sprout for a year before finally taking over the post of Herbology Professor when Professor Sprout retired. Neville, of course, flourished in the position and it was obvious that was his calling.

Hermione had been making headway through the Ministry of Magic, writing new laws passed that made circumstances better for werewolfs and house elves. The Lupin Act, written in memory of Remus Lupin, prevented anyone from discriminating against a werewolf while also ensuring that werewolves had access to the Wolfsbane potion every month. Even though it meant that werewolves still had to register with the Ministry to have that access as there were funds specifically set aside to pay for the potion on behalf of those who couldn't get it themselves.

As for her work on behalf of the elves, she had actually done more research and even spoke with elves, Kreacher being one of them. The extra research and interviews had benefited her as she had learned that the elves needed to be bonded to witches and wizards for their own health and magic which explained why they feared being free so much. So rather than trying to get them all set free, the law she got passed allowed an option of being paid, made it where they could have sick days and vacation days and also made it illegal to abuse them or to order them to hurt themselves as punishment. That law had been The Dobby Act in memory of Dobby the house elf.

Those two laws alone pushed Hermione up through the ranks. The work she did alongside Arthur Weasley to integrate some Muggle items into their world, particularly certain electronic items of entertainment and communication that needed special work to allow them to work properly without short circuiting around high volumes of magic. These items were televisions, cell phones and computers, bringing the Wizarding World a little more up to speed with the Muggle World. Though of course, with computers brought into the world, meant the internet was introduced as well. She gave speeches and explained that the internet was one place where the Wizarding World could communicate with Muggles and even mention that they were witches and wizards without fear of persecution as long as they didn't give too much about their world away. Such advancements combined with her status as a War Heroine garnered her so much respect and praise to the point that people were asking her to run for Minister for Magic if the chance opened up. Four years into her relationship with Neville, Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt announced that he would be stepping down the next year which meant the Wizarding World would have to elect a new Minister of the announcement made, people again started asking Hermione if she would run for Minister.

"I think you should do it." Neville had told her when she asked his opinion.

"Really?" She asked in bewilderment.

"Really. You've got plenty of support already which means people obviously want you to " He nodded with a smile.

"Alright then, I'll do it." Hermione beamed and started planning for her campaign run.

When Kingsley stepped down a year later, he already knew that the office, the Ministry and the British Wizarding World would be in good hands when they announced that the newly elected Minister was none other than Hermione Granger. Kingsley personally pushed for a ball at the Ministry to celebrate Hermione's win.

When Hermione made an entrance the night of the ball, no one was surprised to find Neville as her date and escort. Though as Hermione was the guest of honor for the ball, she and Neville were the ones to start off the dancing. The couple danced to the first song, the only couple on the floor. When the song was over, Neville was the one who would give the okay for everyone else to start dancing as well.

"Everyone, you all will be able to start dancing as well in just a moment. But first, there's something I need to do." Neville grinned. "I've already gotten approval to do this so don't get upset. It won't take long."

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "What exactly is that?"

Neville took a small ring box from his pocket as he got down on one knee. "Since the day we met on the Hogwarts Express our first year, you've been a wonderful friend. Not just to me but to everyone you've befriended, even when your efforts weren't shown nearly as much appreciation as you you excelled in classes, you never bragged about it, instead staying delightfully humble. And watching you through the years work to make things better for all has been an inspiration. You were my inspiration for wanting to be better and I'll forever be grateful. I've been lucky these past five years to be at your side and hold your heart. I ask will you make me even luckier and do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He opened the box to reveal a beautiful but simple ring that had a single diamond on it. He was nervous and it was taking him a lot of restraint to not show it.

Hermione was in shock at realizing Neville was proposing to her. But when he finished and showed her the ring, she knew she didn't even need to think about her answer. She knew he knew her well enough that she didn't need to doubt whether or not it was right. She nodded even as tears fell down her cheeks while smiling. "Yes Neville, I'll marry you."

Neville took the ring from the box and slid it onto her ring finger before standing up and kissing her happily amidst all the cheers from the audience. "Sorry for putting you even more on the spot." He murmured where only she could hear.

"Don't worry about it." Hermione smiled. "Made the night better." She looked and saw that people were starting to step on the dance floor. "Come on, let's go mingle a bit now that the more important part is over for now."

"As you wish, Lady Minister." He teased her playfully as he offered her his arm.

Hermione chuckled and looped her arm with his as they walked off the dance floor to start mingling with some of the other ministry workers as well as others.


End file.
